- By Namrata Vijay
- Sun, 19 Apr 2026 03:58 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
KKR vs RR IPL 2026 Toss Update: Kolkata Knight Riders will lock horns with Rajasthan Royals during their next IPL 2026 match at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday, where the host will aim to win their first match this year. Under the captaincy of Ajinkya Rahane, the Kolkata-based franchise has had a forgetful outing till now.
They haven't won a single match of the six they have played, including one washed-out match. Since they have scored just one point in the points table, they are on the verge of making an early exit from the race to the playoffs.
KKR vs RR's tournament so far in IPL 2026
The Ajinkya Rahane-led side is in a must-win situation. Since they are playing this clash in their backyard, they might have some home advantage, but they might need a whole team performance to give the Riyan Parag-led side a hard time.
At the same time, the Rajasthan-based franchise has been one of the most consistent teams this year. They have won four of their five matches and are lying in third position in the points table.
They have a formidable batting lineup, including youngsters like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who has drawn everyone's attention with his aggressive strokeplay.
Their bowlers are also in some sublime form, as star fast bowler Jofra Archer and spinner Ravi Bishnoi spearhead it.
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Ahead of the upcoming match, let's take a look at the toss update:
KKR vs RR IPL 2026: Playing XIs
Riyan Parag won the toss and chose to bat first.
Rajasthan Royals Playing XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (c), Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Brijesh Sharma, Ravi Bishnoi
Kolkata Knight Riders Playing XI: Tim Seifert (wk), Ajinkya Rahane (c), Cameron Green, Rovman Powell, Rinku Singh (vc), Sunil Narine, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi, Varun Chakaravarthy.
Speaking of changes to the playing XI, the hosts have made none and are fielding the same XI.
At the same time, the Riyan Parag-led side has made two changes to its playing XI, with Shimron Hetmyer and Brijesh Sharma replacing Lhuan de Pretorius and Tushar Deshpande.
KKR vs RR IPL 2026: Captains' Thoughts
Riyan Parag (Rajasthan Royals Captain): "We are batting first. Looks like a pretty dry wicket to me. The grass was cut yesterday. Hoping for some turn in the first innings and then some more in the 2nd as well.
[on the conditions] Last year we fell short, but the amount of turn Varun and Narine extracted last year, if it happens today as well. We have quality spinners in our lineup.
[on the strategies] Win or lose, our strategies remain the same. We always look at the mistakes we have made and see what we can do better—lots of learning from the last game.
[team news] Hetmyer comes back in. Lhuan-dre steps out. Tushar Deshpande gets a rest, and Brijesh Sharma comes in."
Ajinkya Rahane (Kolkata Knight Riders Captain): "[On what he would have done] We were looking to bat first as well. Basically, just wanted to, as I said in the last game as well, batters need to bat with freedom, with the kind of situation we are in at the moment. We want all the batters to bat freely. The bowling unit is doing well. In the last three games, they have done well in the end and middle overs, but are happy to lose the toss.
[Message to his team] See, the thing is, we have lived in the past; we don't know what the future will hold. All we have is this moment. Giving our best and focusing on controllables. When you lose games, you try to overthink. Boys have prepared well; they are in a good mindset. Results can go either way, but it is about being in this moment and playing with freedom.
[Team News] We are going with the same team."
KKR vs RR IPL 2026: Impact Subs
Kolkata Knight Riders: Manish Pandey, Finn Allen, Navdeep Saini, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Tejasvi Dahiya
Rajasthan Royals: Shubham Dubey, Sandeep Sharma, Ravi Singh, Yash Raj Punja, Lhuan-dre Pretorius
Why is Matheesha Pathirana not playing in the KKR vs RR match?
It should be noted here that Matheesha Pathirana has joined Kolkata Knight Riders, but he is not a part of KKR's playing XI for the match against RR.
He flew directly from Colombo after being cleared by Sri Lankan cricket. Speculation was rife that he would not play in the match against the Rajasthan-based franchise. KKR's medical staff will first conduct a fitness test ahead of their next training session and will take a call on his availability. They don't want to force him to enter the playing XI immediately after his arrival.
Chances are high that he might play their next match against the Rishabh Pant-led side, which will be held next week.
He had represented CSK in the last season and was roped in by the Kolkata-based franchise for a whopping Rs 18 crore at last year's auction. He had stayed out of competitive action post-sustaining a calf injury in the 2026 T20 World Cup.